Written Answers

Wednesday 15 March 2000

Scottish Executive

Climate Change Levy

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government to secure revenues raised through the Climate Change Levy (CCL) in Scotland and, if so, to detail on what basis funds raised through the CCL will be allocated to Scotland.

Henry McLeish: As a tax measure, the Climate Change Levy is a matter reserved to the UK Parliament. However, Scottish companies are expected to benefit from reductions in Employers National Insurance contributions funded from CCL revenue, and from a share of the £100 million to be allocated each year from the CCL to provide Enhanced Capital Allowances to businesses making a range of approved energy efficient investments.

  In addition, £50 million each year from the CCL will be used for the development of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures across the UK. The Scottish Executive will receive a share of that money to be spent on such measures. Negotiations on the precise amount will proceed as part of the 2000 spending review.

Environment

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a map of Scotland showing the areas which are subject to some form of nature conservation designation and whether it will state for each local authority area the percentage of the land which is subject to such designation.

Sarah Boyack: The information you request can be found in Facts and Figures , the companion publication to Scottish Natural Heritage’s Annual Report. A copy of the latest version, Facts and Figures 1998/99 , is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its current views are on genetically modified (GM) organisms, in the light of the recent statement by the Prime Minister that GM crops could be harmful to human health and the environment.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is well aware of the real and understandable public concerns over genetically modified organisms. Throughout, public health and environmental considerations continue to drive policy in this area. We are neither pro- nor anti-GM but pro-safety, pro-environment and pro-consumer choice – a view shared with the UK Government.

Health

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the current structure of the delivery of dental treatment.

Susan Deacon: The structure for delivering NHS dental services is developing continuously.

Local Government

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the survey which the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) commissioned by EKOS Ltd into economic development, whether it has had or plans to have discussions with CoSLA about the weaknesses identified in monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of local authority spending on economic development, and what action it will take, instruct or recommend in relation to such weaknesses.

Henry McLeish: I have already arranged to meet with the President of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss the role of local government in economic development. The report by EKOS Ltd on councils’ economic development activities will be one of a range of matters under discussion. That meeting took place on 14 March.

Local Government Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to address the situation where local authorities are increasing council tax to pay for shortfalls in local authority pension schemes and whether it has allocated an amount in respect of this issue in the central government support for local authority capital expenditure in its settlement for next year.

Mr Jack McConnell: It is a matter for authorities themselves to ensure that adequate provision is being made towards local authorities’ pension funds. The cost of pension funds are met from current expenditure and do not have any implications for local authority capital budgets. Next year’s settlement provides for local authority current expenditure to rise by 3.7% which is an increase in real terms and includes provision of £38.5 million to meet the costs arising from the abolition of Advanced Corporation Tax credits.

Local Government Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of inflation is on the price of goods and services purchased by local authorities and what allowance has been made for this in the local government finance settlement for 2000-01.

Mr Jack McConnell: The local government settlement for 2000-01 allows for total local authority current expenditure to rise by 3.7%. This is a real terms increase when compared to the current forecast of inflation for 2000-01 of 2.5%.

Local Government Finance

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to introduce indicators of rural deprivation which will allow resources to be effectively targeted at areas of rural disadvantage.

Mr Jack McConnell: Existing indicators within the grant distribution system measure relative levels of deprivation across all council areas. As I announced to the Scottish Parliament on 8 December, we have agreed with CoSLA that the joint review we are undertaking of the impact of deprivation and poverty on council costs will consider both rural and urban areas in grant distribution. The review is due to report later this year in time to be implemented within the 2001-02 local government finance settlement.

Local Government Finance

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the factors were which influenced the recent allocation of deprivation grants and whether it considers that council areas in the west of Scotland benefited more than other areas of Scotland.

Mr Jack McConnell: In line with our shared priorities, we agreed with CoSLA that the special deprivation payments for 2000-01 should be targeted at those councils facing higher levels of deprivation, as measured by above average numbers of Income Support recipients as a proportion of their total populations. This is in line with existing indicators of deprivation and poverty within the distribution system. The allocations to individual councils arise from this objective measure of relative deprivation.

Local Government Finance

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage local authorities to improve the speed with which they settle payments to private suppliers and contractors.

Mr Jack McConnell: Payment arrangements are a matter between local authorities and individual suppliers. As noted in my response to question S1O-332, I spoke to Councillor Norman Murray, President of CoSLA, asking him to draw to the attention of councils the requirements of the Late Payment of Commercial Debt (Interest) Act 1998 and the importance of paying their bills on time. CoSLA wrote to all local authorities advising them of this on 1 October.

  The latest available information on the performance of councils in paying invoices within 30 days was published in the recent Accounts Commission pamphlet Benefits, Finance and Housing 1998-99. It reported that 19 councils had improved in terms of the percentage of invoices which they had paid on time during 1998-99, compared to the previous year.

Sheltered Housing

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make the proposed Code of Management Practice for owner-occupied sheltered housing compulsory.

Jackie Baillie: The Code of Management Practice for owner-occupied sheltered and retirement housing was prepared by a working group chaired by the Scottish Executive and comprising representatives of a wide range of interested parties. Its remit was to prepare a voluntary code. The code provides guidance on a wide range of detailed technical matters which are not appropriate for legislation.

  Although the code itself is voluntary, our proposals for the reform of property law in Scotland should make it much easier than at present for owners within a development to change their management company if they so wish. When this legislation is enacted, it should therefore be possible for owners to ensure that the management company for their development acts in accordance with the code. Prospective purchasers of owner-occupied and retirement houses will also be able to check, before purchasing, that the management company agrees to comply with the code.

  We have provided funding to Age Concern to establish an advice and information service in Scotland on owner-occupied sheltered and retirement housing. This service will be able to provide advice on the code to existing owners, prospective owners and management companies.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to retain the existing A1 between Haddington and Dunbar as a trunk road once the new dual carriageway between Haddington and Dunbar has been completed.

Sarah Boyack: No. The proposals for the Expressway option to upgrade this section of the A1 do not alter the intention to detrunk the existing A1 between Haddington and Dunbar when the new dual carriageway special road is opened to traffic.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place a copy of the detailed Scottish Borders Railway Feasibility Study in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and whether it will issue copies of the comprehensive Summary Report to the relevant constituency and regional MSPs.

Sarah Boyack: A copy of the Scottish Borders Railway Feasibility Study has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The Summary Report of the study is being distributed to the relevant constituency and regional MSPs.

Utilities Bill

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been done to establish the impact of the proposed Utilities Bill on Scotland.

Henry McLeish: Officials of the then Scottish Office were part of the Utilities Review team set up by the Government to look at the regulation of utilities, and have since worked closely with the Department of Trade and Industry in preparing the Bill. As in England and Wales, the Bill, once enacted, will make changes to the structure of the electricity supply industry which are expected to lead to reductions in electricity bills. The Bill also makes provision for a separate renewables obligation in Scotland, and for the continuation of the arrangements that ensure electricity consumers in the North and West do not pay more for their electricity solely because of their geographical location.

Warm Deal

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish the review of the Warm Deal and whether the review will examine (a) grant levels, (b) the type of work for which grants are available and (c) how to maximise and broaden the uptake of Warm Deal grants.

Mr Frank McAveety: There is no review of the Warm Deal.

World Trade Organisation

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish representations were made to the United Kingdom delegation to the World Trade Organisation meetings in Geneva.

Henry McLeish: The regulation of international trade is a reserved matter. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Department of Trade and Industry and other UK Departments on trade issues including those arising from the World Trade Organisation and how these may impact on the Executive’s responsibilities.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether, if the Holyrood Project is cancelled, alternative sites outside Edinburgh, in particular in Glasgow, will be considered as the location of a new Scottish Parliament building.

Sir David Steel: I advise members to await publication of Mr Spencely’s report which will enable such details to be set in context.

Holyrood

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the estimate that will be given to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body for the cost of the Holyrood Project will be inclusive of VAT.

Sir David Steel: Yes.

Parliamentary Accommodation

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what the full cost is of the Parliament’s temporary accommodation from first hiring to date and what the cost will be of the temporary move to Glasgow, including travel expenses.

Sir David Steel: The Parliament’s running costs on accommodation to date (i.e. rent, rates, utilities etc) amount to £4.1 million.

  The cost of running meetings of Parliament in Glasgow – including accommodation, IT facilities and broadcasting – is estimated to be approximately £100,000. It is expected that travel expenses will be met within existing budgets.